By Cecilia Nasmith
Support from the Town of Cobourg is vital in YMCA Northumberland's hopes of obtaining a significant grant for a major rebuilding of their Elgin Street facility, council heard at this week's committee-of-the-whole meeting.
Y representative Leslie Murray said the project is necessary for meeting the growing needs of the community, and has long partnered with the town in this responsibility. This includes a purchase-of-service agreement of 27 years' standing through which the Y provides lifeguards on the beach and operates the Centennial Pool.
“The Town of Cobourg and the Y share a commitment to provide services and facility that positively impact the health and well-being of the people we serve,” Murray said.
Community consultations have long supported a proper aquatic facility, and the accepted population threshold for a community that can support such an asset is 20,000. Cobourg's is 19,400, according to the latest available figures.
Residents surveyed in 2017 said the most common reason they leave Cobourg for recreation is the aquatic programming in Port Hope. All they have in Cobourg is the Centennial Pool (built in 1967 and only open in July and August) and the single pool in a YMCA building constructed in 1980.
The older demographic of Cobourg means a proper pool with swimming lanes could encourage aquatic exercise. And a therapeutic pool would be great to have for health reasons.
As for the children, Murray said more than 3,100 children took swimming lessons at the Y last year and ore than 700 Grade 3 student participated in the Swim To Survive program to learn drown-proofing (free, she added, thanks to community sponsors). And the Y is the largest employer of youth in Northumberland County.
At this time, she said, three things are clear – significant improvement and expansion are required, a new and improved aquatic centre would be desirable, and the town's support in such projects would continue a long-standing and productive partnership.
Murray asked the town to provide a letter of support as they pursue an Investing In Canada Infrastructure Program application they hope will cover 73.3% of the $30-million project, with a capital campaign to raise the remaining $8-million.
She also hopes the town is open to the possibility of a financial partnership in making it happen.
Councillor Emily Chorley made a motion that the letter be filed and that – in the event their application is successful – the town come through with the financial commitment requested.
Councillor Nicole Beatty asked that the two requests be considered separately, and no one had any trouble with the letter of support. The financial commitment was another matter.
Mayor John Henderson acknowledged the long and fruitful association the town shared with the Y, but expressed two points of concern – is a commitment that large consistent with the support the town has extended to other similar projects, and is the town prepared to spend that much with other large commitments on the horizon.
“We will be getting requests for Northumberland Hills Hospital capital projects and, by 2022, the county is hoping to do a $100-million building at the Golden Plough Lodge and they will be asking for commitments from municipalities,” Henderson listed – adding the commitment they have made to the new Northumberland Hospice Centre of $240,000 over four years.
“This is a pretty large number to make an accurate decision on within five minutes,” Councillor Adam Bureau agreed.
“We don't even know what our budget is this year, and we have huge waterfront issues we have to pay for. We have so much coming up.”
Murray had not requested a specific amount, Councillor Brian Darling acknowledged.
“I do feel it is a large ask, and we need time to think about it.”
Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin pointed out that the application deadline is Nov. 12, and it could be a make-or-break difference if the Y could include a financial commitment from the town in its application.
The funding for this grant is grossly oversubscribed, the deputy mayor said, and those applications with the greatest municipal support are likeliest to succeed.
Mayor Henderson pointed out that the town was applying for two of those grants - $10.6-million for the east pier and $1.6-million for Victoria Square. He wondered how it would look if Cobourg asks for that money while it is supplying $500,000 for another applicant.
Once the Y application succeeds, Henderson said, he expects the town to get on-board with the rebuild – not only financially but perhaps with such in-kind support as the town gives Habitat For Humanity Northumberland in waiving some part of the development fees.
“But I am a bit dismayed – I only heard this figure tonight,” he said.
“I support a future partnership, and I will be loyal to the Y with a responsible financial attitude going forward. But I cannot support any amount tonight. I am sorry. Wrong time.”
The vote on providing financial support failed four-to-three, with Chorley, Seguin and Councillor Aaron Burchat voting in favour and the other councillors against.
